


My Sunshine Prince

by koi_choshi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:54:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,694
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25560922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koi_choshi/pseuds/koi_choshi
Summary: Nino and Aiba are best friends with plans in place for their future. One day, dozens of black cars were parked in front of Aiba's small house. Aiba isn't really who Nino thought to be, and everything changes because of that. (I will be updating the summary as we move on to the chapters)
Relationships: Aiba Masaki/Ninomiya Kazunari
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, I wrote something! 
> 
> This is a prompt I always desperately requested to all exchanges I've been to but it's time to put it in my own hands. This has been a WIP since like, IDK, 2018?, and I only got time to add more chapters during this situation (and also NinoAi spoiling us with EVERYTHING). This is not yet finished in the draft, but I hope I get more and more inspiration, and maybe more theories that I can incorporate. Please enjoy and kindly let me know your thoughts!

“What do you want to be?”

“Hmm… me? I want to be rich,” his best friend replied, looking out of the window.

Masaki laughed. “That’s so shallow.” He looked at the TV. It was featuring a royal family from some island in the south talking with the Japanese emperor. “A sure way to get rich is to be prince, I guess?”

Nino, his best friend, just glared at him. “You’re not helping.”

Masaki laughed. “I know.” He scooted closer to Nino so that they’re face to face. “I know that one day you’ll be rich. Don’t forget me when that happens, alright? Pinky swear.” He held out his pinky finger.

“You’re so corny,” Nino replied. But he still made a pinky swear. He could not help but sigh as he looked at his best friend’s sunny smile. “Forgetting you would be impossible,” he muttered under his breath.

***

Nino watched as Aiba wiping the windows. It was already shiny but he just kept on wiping it with a large smile on his face. Nino gently tapped the window to catch his friend’s attention. Aiba waved at him and made a silly face.

“Come inside, idiot,” he mouthed, signaling his friend to go back inside. Aiba threw his rag inside the pail and entered the restaurant.

“Hi Nino,” he cheerfully greeted. “Would you like to order something?”

Nino shook his head. “I’m already full. What time will you be out?”

Aiba pursed his lips. Nino knew very well what that look meant. “Sorry. I have to take over another staff’s shift.”

Nino glared at his friend. Even though Aiba was all smiles, he knew that Aiba was just human and he was very exhausted. “Care to tell me how many hours you slept last night?”

“M-me?” Aiba stuttered. He looked at the side anxiously. “Well, I think I had…” he started counting with his fingers, “… an hour or so.”

“An hour or so? What the hell does that mean?”

“Nino, Nino,” Aiba patted him, trying to reassure him, “I’m fine. I mean, you can play three days straight…”

“Playing only requires you to sit down. You still work in that ramen factory, Aiba Masaki! What if you accidentally chop your hand because you’re too sleepy to work?”

“I only put meat on the ramen. It’s pre-cut…”

“That’s not the point, idiot!” Nino scratched his forehead. “Let’s go.”

“But my second shift…!”

“Takeuchi-san, Aiba will have to take a break!” Nino shouted. The owner of the shop nodded appreciatively.

“Well, that’s good! I heard he did not sleep for a day! Take care, Aiba-kun,” she waved at her employee as Nino dragged him out.

“You’re lucky she’s in a good mood,” Aiba sighed Nino steered him to the train station.

Nino just shrugged. Aiba was already leaning on him, maybe he was finally showing signs of exhaustion. Nino sighed comfortably at the warmth coming from his best friend. It was a cold autumn night and his jacket was not really enough to give warmth.

Nino gasped softly when Aiba took his hand to put it inside his jacket pocket and squeezed it for a moment. Aiba’s eyes were half-lidded but he still bothered to warm Nino’s hand. He liked it when Aiba’s this thoughtful.

“You’re sleepy,” he whispered.

“Yeah, I guess. Do you want to do something at home?”

“Nah, I just pulled you out of work so that you can sleep,” Nino replied.

Their train arrived and luckily, they were able to find empty seats. Nino let Aiba sleep on his shoulder while they had their almost one-hour ride home. To be honest, Nino wouldn’t let Aiba go home, not yet, because his best friend would stay up and help around the house. He would let Aiba go up to his bedroom and sleep for as many hours as possible.

“We’re here,” Nino nudged Aiba gently, who rubbed his eyes and looked around groggily.

“Wha’?” he said with a yawn. Nino chuckled. A groggy Aiba is always cute. “Where are we going?”

“We’re going to my house,” Nino said, pulling Aiba’s hand to lead the way.

“But Nino, I thought you’re making me go home?” Aiba asked, confused.

Nino sighed. “If you go home, you won’t sleep. So I am forcing you to go to sleep,” he explained.

“But you have to study, right?”

Nino sighed again. Aiba could be very stubborn if he wanted to. “I know that. As long as you don’t snore, I’ll be okay.”

Aiba smiled widely. “Alright.”

Nino noticed a parade of handsome black cars running on the road. It was an unusual sight for them since their place was far from the main city, it wasn’t a tourist area, and people living in the town drive modest cars. He noticed Aiba looking at the cars with awe.

“When you become rich, Nino, will you let me ride your luxury car?” he asked.

Nino snorted. “What kind of question is that?”

“I saw a doctor driving a Lexus!” Aiba said brightly. “I think that car will suit you.”

“Shut it, idiot. I’m still in my first year. I still haven’t stepped inside a hospital yet. That’s a long way to go, you know?”

“But you’ll still get there,” Aiba answered, his energy dwindling a bit. He looked at his shoes and sighed heavily. He yawned again. “I’m sleepy.”

Nino didn’t really want to talk about his rich man dreams with Aiba. After the Aiba family business went bankrupt, things had been hard for him. He was not able to continue to college, and he had to work multiple jobs in order to help his family.

“Come on,” Nino just said, pulling his friend.

“Hey, why did you stop?” Aiba asked, almost bumping into Nino when he halted.

Nino looked around. On the street were the black cars they saw earlier. They were all parked in front of Aiba’s shabby house. He felt uneasy as he saw Aiba’s parents stand in front of the house, talking to a man in a black suit. Were these people loan sharks? Is Aiba in trouble? Thousands of negative thoughts swam through Nino’s head. He instinctively held Aiba’s hand tighter. How could this boy still be sleepy in this kind of situation?

Nino’s heart started to beat so loudly when the man in the suit spotted them at the end of the road. “A-a-aiba! Run! Run away!” he said, losing his voice due to the dryness of his throat.

“Huh?” Aiba meekly replied.

Nino pushed him so that he could go. “Go run and hide!” he yelled. The man in suit started to run towards them, followed by a dozen more. Nino was in a panic, and stupid Aiba was still rooted on the spot. He clicked his tongue and grabbed Aiba’s hand so that they could run away and hide somewhere.

“Wait!” the man shouted, as he chased them.

Nino pushed Aiba so that he could run first. However, he tripped over a rock and fell face first on the ground. The man behind them ran faster and made his way towards Aiba.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TOTAL Disclaimer: I totally invented a new kingdom in this story!!!!! Please take note that I took liberties in making it!

“Your Highness!” the man yelled, rushing towards Aiba. He crouched down and helped Aiba up. “Your Highness, are you alright?” he asked.

Aiba was confused. He looked up at the stranger, a handsome man with large, kind eyes, and thick lips. The stranger smiled as he was helped up. “Your Highness?” Aiba wondered aloud, all sleepiness leaving his body, shooting a look at the equally confused Nino and then to the stranger once again.

The man, who was touching Aiba’s arms, pulled away and suddenly bowed low. “Your Highness, forgive me for my rudeness. I am Sho from the Sakurai family, serving the Kingdom of Hana. I have come here to bring you to your family.”

“What? Family? B-but my family is here!” Aiba replied in a yell. He looked over to his house. His mother and father looked at him with a crestfallen expression, making him feel upset. What was this man talking about?

Sho sighed deeply. He looked as if he was trying to find the best words to explain the situation. “Uhh, I think it’s best if Aiba-san, your foster father, will explain what happened. He held out his hand to let Aiba go back home first. Along the way, he saw Nino, still standing in the middle of the street. He pulled Nino’s hand and half-dragged him towards the house.

“I don’t want to be there,” Nino hissed.

“Nino, Nino, please, I don’t think I can bear this on my own. Please be there for me?” Aiba pleaded, gripping on Nino’s hand tighter. Nino’s tense stance softened and he just nodded silently. He followed Aiba to the house.

“I’m very sorry,” his father quickly apologized.

“W-why?” Aiba stuttered, trying not to break into tears. “Why are you saying sorry?”

“Aiba-san, Your Highness, if we can go inside to discuss…” Sho started.

“Don’t call me like that!” Aiba snapped, totally annoyed. Sho seemed to understand so he nodded.

They all sat down on the couches. Aiba gripped Nino’s hand tighter. “I think I will let you discuss this with him, Mito-san,” Sho said, gesturing towards Aiba’s mom.

She broke down into tears. “I’m really sorry, Masaki. I’m really sorry…!”

“Mito-san was a lady-in-waiting of Queen Saho of the Kingdom of Hana,” Sho started to explain.

“K-Kingdom of Hana?” Aiba repeated, confused. He wasn’t the best person to ask about geography because he didn’t really like that subject. The country sounded familiar, though.

“It’s a special autonomous kingdom at the southernmost part of Japan,” Sho explained, “farther than Okinawa. It is basically within the territorial limits of the country but to honor a centuries-old promise with the Emperor of Japan, it is a kingdom of its own.”

Aiba looked at Nino for a moment, trying to find any reaction from his best friend. He wanted Nino to snap at that Sho, and to make any snarky comments, just to make sure that this was a big prank. But Nino was silent.

“S-so, why are you calling me Your Highness? What is the relationship that my mother once worked there?”

Aiba’s mother looked at him. “There was a rebellion twenty-three years ago in the kingdom and the queen wanted to keep you safe,” she explained. “I had her trust and I was very loyal to her. She asked me to take you away from Hana and never to return unless the kingdom searches for you.”

“And we have been searching for ten years, after the rebellion was officially squashed,” Sho continued. “I was able to speak to Mito-san about this.” Sho looked apologetically at Mito and then at Aiba. “The queen’s last wish before she dies is to see you crowned as the prince and heir. It’s almost her time,” he added sadly, looking at the floor.

“How can I believe you?” Aiba said, looking at Sho with teary eyes. “I grew up with this family ever since. I don’t have any memories of being a prince of whatever country. Is this a big joke?”

“Your Highness, I don’t mean any offense…”

“Shut it! I don’t want you to call me like that! I’m just Aiba Masaki and this is my family!” He stormed out of the living room and went to his bedroom upstairs. He could not lock the sliding door so he hid under blankets and started sobbing quietly.

A few moments later, he felt a hand gently patting him from the top of the blanket. He heard his mother’s voice gently speaking to him. “Masaki…?”

“You’re my mom, right? My _real_ mom?”

She sighed while trying to remove the blanket. Aiba saw her tear-stained face. “You’ll always be my son,” she said with a sad smile. “But the truth is that you did not come from me.” She touched his cheeks to wipe the tears. “I’ve become a mother and I know that Mito-sama is feeling intense sadness of not seeing her son for a very long time.”

“But this is my home,” Aiba whined.

“It’s not bad to stay with her when you’re her last wish,” she kindly said in that familiar voice that was very unbearable.

Aiba hugged his mom tight. “I can’t believe I’m not your son,” he cried.

“Who said I’m not?” her mother replied with a chuckle.

***

“Queen Saho will be very glad to finally see you, Your Highness,” Sho said. He was obviously excited but he was trying to be uptight about it.

“And what will I do once I get there?” Aiba asked. Sho was nothing but amiable but Aiba was still feeling upset about everything so he was trying to act as cold as possible.

“I will bring you to Queen Saho so that you can talk to each other,” Sho said while he busily started looking at his phone.

Aiba sighed and looked at the view from the window. “My mother… my real mother…” he started, “what is she like?”

“Queen Saho is fierce but very gentle and kind,” Sho said dreamily. “The King died in the rebellion. There were doubts about her rule before but because there were no heirs, they let her rule the kingdom.” He looked at Aiba with a smile. “She proved herself. I’m a very big fan of her, you see?”

Aiba chuckled. “Seems like it.” He looked at the widow again and spotted a man wearing white walking on the sidewalk. “Wait! Stop the car!”

“Stop the car!” Sho shouted after him. The driver halted the car, making the two of them lunge forward. “Your Highness, where are you going?”

Aiba ran out of the car and chased after the man. “Nino! Nino, wait!”

Nino stopped and turned around. “Aiba-sshi!” He looked surprised. He turned around and started walking away slowly.

Aiba pulled Nino’s hand. His best friend had avoided him for days after they found out that he’s a literal prince. “Why are you avoiding me?”

Nino met his eyes and then looked down. “You’re a prince now.”

“And so?”

“I don’t think I can bear the thought of being friends with a person not my level,” Nino replied in a small voice. He pulled away from Aiba’s grasp a little violently. “Excuse me, I have to go to school.”

“Nino, wait!” Aiba ran ahead of Nino to block his way. “What is this nonsense?” he asked, putting his hands on Nino’s shoulders. “What are you talking about? A person not your level?”

“Oh, come on, Aiba- _sama_ , you clearly know what I’m talking about,” Nino replied, rolling his eyes. “You’re a prince and I’m a commoner. We’re not on the same level!”

Aiba pouted but he had an idea. He pulled Nino closer and gave him a hug. For a moment, Aiba felt like there was a prickling pain in his chest as he held his best friend close. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath and said, “Nino, you are my friend left. When we went bankrupt, you were still there for me. When everyone else laughed at me, you didn’t. Well, you do laugh at me but that’s a different story.” He heard Nino’s low chuckle. Aiba couldn’t help but smile in relief.

“I hope you come back to us, Aiba-sshi,” Nino said. Aiba could see the tears threatening to fall down. But because it was Nino, he knew that they won’t come out.

“I won’t take long, okay? I don’t really like any of this prince business,” Aiba replied.

“Your Highness?” Sho called out from behind him. Aiba sighed. He didn’t know how long that guy had been waiting for him. “We have to go or we’ll be late.”

Aiba left a smile to Nino before he patted his shorter friend’s head. “Take care, okay? I’ll be back before you know it.”

Nino smirked at him. “Go now, Aiba-sama.”

Aiba returned to the car and lowered the windows so that he could wave continuously at Nino before their car turned to a corner. He felt the prickling pain in his chest once again. He instinctively placed a hand over his heart and heaved a sigh.

What was that feeling?


End file.
